A church or any place of worship is a great place to hold a movie screening. Preachers and other church members can use films to demonstrate issues like faith and sacrifice to their followers. Here are a few tips on how to show movies at a church as well as some appropriate films for such an occasion.
Can I show a movie at my church?
Before you start planning your church film screening, it is important to secure rights to screen the movie of your choice. The Religious Service Exemption allows for films to be shown during a religious service in place of typical worship practices, like praying or playing music.
Church film screenings that are not held during a service may be protected as educational material under the Classroom Use Exemption or the Fair Use Doctrine. Check out our guide to public performance rights to learn more.
How do you host a church movie night?
The most important thing to remember when planning a movie night is to take the process one step at a time. After you choose your film, it is important to secure your screening location and examine public performance rights and technical concerns before moving onto to promoting your event. Check out our article on how to screen movies in public to learn more.
Where can I find contact information for film distributors?
For all of the films we've recommended below, you will need to contact the distribution company in order to secure public performance rights. Subscribe to Video Librarian for exclusive access to our distributor database which provides you with contact information for each distributor.
Bring these titles and more to your place of worship and religious community!
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It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
RKO Radio Pictures
This Frank Capra gem has truly stood the test of time and has obvious religious allusions. Congregations can identify with the theme of guardian angels through the character of Clarence. The film, which takes place during the Christmas holiday, goes beyond the typical Christmas tale. It tells the story of George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), who envisions a life where he’d never been born. It shows that everyone truly matters and is a great cinematic lesson for any churchgoer.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Paramount Pictures
Taking the Book of Exodus as its source, this epic (it’s almost four hours!) by Cecil B. Demille tells the story of the Biblical hero Moses (Charlton Heston). With one of the most staggering supporting casts ever assembled (you have the likes of Vincent Price, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, and John Carradine playing their part), this film is a great selection. However, you might want to break the screening up into segments, as younger viewers may not be able to handle it all in one sitting.
Read our review of The Ten Commandments
The Shack (2017)
Lionsgate
Based on the bestseller by William Paul Young, this film would serve well for a discussion on overcoming tragedy and crises of faith. Mack Phillips (Sam Worthington) loses his daughter Missy during a camping trip, and his whole world is flipped upside down. He is sent to a cabin (the titular shack) in the forest (the place where Missy’s torn, bloodied dress was found) and there experiences a spiritual journey that encourages him to find perspective in his life as well as reaffirming his faith in God. A recent fan favorite, this one is full of valuable lessons.
First Reformed (2017)
A24
Similar to The Shack, First Reformed revolves around crises of faith. Ethan Hawke plays Pastor Ernst Toller, who is struggling with his beliefs, alcoholism, and guilt over the death of his son in Iraq. There’s a lot going on here, and this screening may only work for viewers of a mature age. Hawke, along with Amanda Seyfried and Phillip Ettinger, make for a great cast. While it has similar themes to The Shack, this one has more explicit content.
Read our review of First Reformed
Dead Man Walking (1995)
Gramercy Pictures (I)
The battle of good vs. evil has been a cinematic staple for centuries, yet this 1995 film blurs the line between those two. Susan Sarandon plays Sister Helen Prejean who counsels murderer Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) as he waits to be executed on Death Row. Like First Reformed, this would only be appropriate in a church setting for mature viewers, yet the film packs a powerful punch as a friendship blossom between the two before Poncelet is put to death.
Read our review of Dead Man Walking